1862 April 25 Camp near Yorktown, Va.

Camp near Yorktown  April 25th

Dear Nell

I wrote to mother from Mont
gomery and suppose that she has received
my letter ere this.  We reached Richmond the
Monday after I wrote from Montgomery
and were detained there for nearly a week of
endeavoring to procure arms before coming
down here.  We were unsuccessful however
and had to come on without them but have
since been supplied.  I would have written
from Richmond, but we expected to leave
every day and were in such an unsettled
state that I could not set myself down
to writing.  We reached this place, last Sunday
evening a little after dark.  I found the
regiment without tents and living in bark
and blanket shanties.  It would seem to be
a very comfortless style of life but we man
age to keep ourselves pretty comfortable
The regiment is doing picket duty and

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two companies go out every day to act in
that capacity. Their posts are about a
half a mile from camp.  We recruits have
not yet been sent out though the rest of the
company has gone several times since we have
been here.  The other day a party of skirmishers
was sent out from our side.  They made an
attack on the enemy's pickets driving them
in and killing some seven or eight.  We had
only two men hurt, both from our company
One was shot in the hand the other in the
leg.  Both will recover.  Sam on that day
captured a yankee coffee cup and would
have brought in the knapsack to which it
was attached but the enemy came out in
force and our men had to retreat so fast
that he was compelled to drop it.  A day or
two after that while he was standing on
his post two Yankee officers while taking
a stroll to came right up to where he was
before they knew it when he brought them
]to a halt, and carried them into the guard

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house.  they proved to be the Colonel and Major
of a New York regiment.  They said that
thy had only just arrived and while their
regiment was pitching their tents had gone
off for a little walk and not knowing
where our pickets were had walked a little
too far.  Yesterday morning the enemy made
and[sic] attack on our pickets but were soon
sent back by a few grape shot thrown
from the fortifications.  There is constant
talk about the big battle coming off in a
day or two, but it seems that the proof it
has been the same say for the last two or
three weeks and some think that we wont
fight here at all. I have been very well
ever since I left  home with the exception
of a chill or two in Richmond. I have suc-
ceeded ho in checking them and am now
well and enjoying camp life.  I would have
written in ink but haveing nothing but
a knapsack to write on , pen and ink
would be inconvenient.  Give much love

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to Mother, and Nette and to the servants
and remember me to all my friends
Your affectionate brother
Horatio N Smith

Horatio Smith, Co. D, 21st Mississippi


MSS 3772